The words of Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK Vadym Prystaiko that Ukraine is allegedly ready to consider abandoning NATO membership in order to avoid a war with Russia are taken out of context, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said.

"Of course, for the sake of peace and the preservation of the lives of our citizens, Ukraine is ready to enter into any format of dialogues with countries and international organizations. At the same time, Ambassador Prystaiko rightly noted in an interview that the prospect of NATO membership is enshrined in the Constitution of Ukraine, but Ukraine is not yet a member of NATO or another security alliance. So the key issue for our country is the issue of security guarantees," Nikolenko told Interfax-Ukraine on Monday.

He said that the best such guarantee would be the immediate admission of Ukraine to the Alliance.

"But threats to Ukraine exist here and now, so finding an answer to the question of guarantees becomes a fundamental urgent task. At the same time, no decision can be made contrary to the Constitution of Ukraine," Nikolenko said.

Earlier, Ukrainian Ambassador to the UK, former Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko, in an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live, said that Kyiv could refuse to join the North Atlantic Alliance if it helps to avoid a full-scale war with Russia. At the same time, he admitted that his words may run counter to the norms of the Constitution of Ukraine.